Motorist M.O
Motorists using multimodal roads as their private F1 tracks, please! Spare us the unnecessary theatrics. Not until you can afford a personal race track. In the meantime, only allow your speedometer to clock 180 km/h in the dead of night on a clear road stretching for miles on end where there are few pedestrians if any. I see no downside. Should you gain entry into the great Ferrari track in the sky, let it be a ticket admitting only one: you!
The fact remains that Kenyan motorists are starved for that nationally authorised speeds — 80kmph rightly popped into your mind — stuck in traffic for excessively long periods. At the sight of a mere 15cm of road, it’s pedal to the metal to make up for the lost time. Unfortunately, in the haste, road users who rank lower face higher risks resulting in negative cross-user biases.
Joe is the proud owner of a navy blue KAA 001A Subaru inherited from his maternal uncle’s cousin. He conquers the dusty rough road from his residence and after waiting patiently at the junction finally has an opportunity to join the tarmac road. Pato, the boda rider cuts him off out of the blue. “How are these guys allowed onto the road? Did they even go to traffic school?” Joe growls at having to wait another 10 min. Mumbling under his breath to no one about traffic illiteracy and the brazen disregard for sanity on the road. When Joe encounters pedestrians, you can place your 4–1 Sportpesa bets he will refuse their crossing. There is no footbridge so it is their time or his and Pato bit into the latter so now he is paying it forward. Basically, he wants to make it past the traffic lights before they turn red.
On the other hand Pato, a legitimate road user will park where he sees fit to meet his targets for essentials such as food. However, considerations about the inconvenience they cause both Joe and pedestrians fail to cross his mind. Obviously, there are bodaboda riders who are the exception to this norm, unfortunately, they are outnumbered by the Patos of their trade.
If you have stridden to the shops, trudged to school, or the bus stop, no need to bore you with the pedestrian’s point of view. Constant near-death experiences with zooming cars and motorbikes are the order of the day. All those Kati playdates are paying off-somewhat. It doesn’t get easier for cyclists. Being tailed by a trailer, then having it hoot at me while cycling: I would be picking grass and twigs out of my hair after plummeting into a knee-high trimmed hedge along Mombasa Road.
We could blame each of these actors but only to some degree. The bulk of these annoyances could expertly be mitigated by the urban and social design. Better infrastructure such as working traffic lights, thoughtful enforcement of the law with proper and continual road safety education would supplement healthier road-user interactions and the adrenaline junkies can seek out lawful ways to fulfil all the celeritous thrills their hearts’ desire.
